NPS Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail

Challenge

How can we enhance awareness, engagement, and economic benefit along a 4,900-mile historic trail spanning 16 states and hundreds of diverse communities?

Solution

In partnership with the National Park Service, Solimar led a multi-year initiative to promote the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail as a compelling cultural tourism experience. Solimar designed and launched an interactive digital platform that showcased local stories, attractions, and businesses—curated with the help of residents and community partners. This geotourism approach not only increased visibility for lesser-known destinations but also built a connected stakeholder network through the Lewis and Clark Trail Alliance. Solimar provided strategic planning, community engagement, training, and capacity building to ensure the program would have long-term sustainability and impact.

Results and Impact

1.5M

Annual website page views

200k

Annual web visitors

2,627

Listings of businesses and attractions

Lessons Learned

1.

Locals Are the Best Storytellers – The authenticity and success of the website hinged on community members sharing their own stories and recommendations—strengthening both the platform and community pride.

2.

Geotourism Builds Identity and Resilience – By celebrating the distinct character of communities along the Trail, the program fostered greater destination identity and empowered local stakeholders to steward their assets.

3.

Strategic Planning Ensures Longevity – Solimar’s Strategic Tourism Plan offered clear direction for sustaining the initiative beyond launch, guiding everything from marketing efforts to capacity-building support.

4.

Recognition Strengthens Participation – Providing featured businesses and sites with digital badges, certificates, and window decals built trust and encouraged broad participation across diverse locations.

5.

Collaboration is the Trail’s Backbone – From workshops and training sessions to stakeholder meetings and council formation, collaborative engagement was foundational to this initiative’s success

  • author

    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow‑mindedness“

    Mark Twain | American Writer

  • author

    “Travel shows that all people cry, laugh, eat and die; by demonstrating this shared humanity, travel introduces the idea that if we try to understand each other, we might become friends“

    Maya Angelou | American Poet

  • author

    “We initially travel to lose ourselves and then to find ourselves. Travel opens our hearts and eyes and teaches us more than newspapers ever will.“

    Pico Iyer | British Novelist

  • author

    “Move. as far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. The extent to which you can walk in somebody else’s shoes–or at least eat their food–it’s a plus for everybody. Open your mind. Get up off the couch. Move.“

    Anthony Bourdain | American Chef

  • author

    “One’s destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things“

    Henry Miller | American Novelist

  • author

    “There is no future for travel and tourism if you’re not welcomed and embraced by the local community.“

    Talib Rifai | Jordanian Businessman

  • author

    “Tourism does not go to a city that has lost its soul.“

    Arthur Frommer | American Writer

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